Breathless
by poplarleaves
Summary: -"Well,” he whispered, arm snaking around her, “it’s going to take a lot more than a little peck on the lips to pay me back for what I plan to do to you.” Contestshipping. Fluff. And all that other good stuff.


"No, Skitty. I don't feel like it today."

May sighed and flopped onto her bed, a frown pushing her brows together as she pouted. The pink-furred Pokemon that she had just spoken to made another attempt to capture her attention, tossing a yarn ball into the air. When there was no response, it mewed softly. May gave it hardly a glance.

She had traveled back home to Petalburg after her mother had managed to persuade her. After all, Caroline had said cheerily, she needed the break. She hadn't been home in forever, and it was tiring practicing for Contests every day. Just a week would be enough before the brief lull in activity ended.

Of course, neither she nor her mother had counted on her being bored to death.

May's eyes flicked to the ceiling. "Nothing to do... don't feel like doing anything..." Another sigh. "I wish something would just _happen..._"

_Clink._

May blinked. "What was that?"

_Clink. Clink-clink._

For a brief second, she caught the motion of something outside of her window.

_Clink-clink._

"Someone's throwing pebbles at my window…?"

Curiosity awakened, she trotted over to the windowsill and looked down, only to blink in surprise at the sight that met her eyes. In the front yard there stood a young man approximately her age, perhaps a year or so older. Silky green hair, eyes like emeralds, flawless skin and an arrogant attitude that practically screamed "rich, spoiled pretty boy". Noticing her, he smirked and flicked his hair to one side, eyes teasing her as always.

Drew.

She clattered down the stairs in a rush, not bothering to stammer out an explanation to her bespectacled brother, barely looking at her mother as she raced out the door, stopping but a few feet away from her rival, breathing slightly harder.

"May," he said, the one word sending shivers down her spine. The same smirk from earlier played about his lips. "Long time no see."

It was a second before she could respond. "Y-yeah. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It has," he agreed. Looking over her shoulder, he smiled to acknowledge the two people standing in the doorway. May turned. While Max was blinking in surprise, their mother smiled and waved.

"Hello, Drew! Would you like to come in?"

"Y-yes, thank you." As he and May walked toward the house, he flashed a smile at Max, who grinned back and gave May a "I-know-what-you're-thinking" look.

"Come on in, Drew. Would you like something to drink?"

"Some water would be fine." Spotting a photo on the wall, he stopped. "Is this you when you were a Trainer, Mrs. Maple?"

"Oh. Yes, that's me about twenty years ago." A reminiscent smile lit her face as she gazed at the picture. It depicted a seventeen-year-old Caroline surrounded by her Pokemon, all of them grinning happily. "I used to be a pretty darn good Trainer," she said a bit softly. Then something seemed to pull her back to the present, and she brightened. "Well, I'll go and get you some water now, all right? You and May should relax in the living room."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Thank you, Mrs. Maple."

The Maple living room consisted of two couches and two armchairs, each pair placed opposite each other around a coffee table. Drew took a seat on one couch while May plopped onto the other.

"So, Drew," she said, "why are you here, anyways?"

With a lazy smirk, he settled back into the couch. "You don't think I came all this way just to chat, do you?" He chuckled. "Typical May."

"FYI, Mr. Perfect, I did _not_ think that," she retorted.

"Of course you didn't." Seeing her sullen face, he continued. "Anyways, I wanted to ask you something."

There was a pause, and May realized that he expected her to speak. "W-well, what is it?"

Drew seemed troubled. She could tell by the way he was shifting around a little, the way his eyebrows came together just a little more, the way his breathing seemed to quicken just a tiny bit. Or maybe she was imagining it all. It was more than likely.

"May…" he began. "We met when we were ten. It's been eight years now. I've liked you for eight years." With that blunt confession, he went on. "Recently I've been wondering about you… you own feelings, and I feel that I should ask you if… maybe…"

"Drew!"

His head snapped up, and green eyes met blue.

"Drew, I guess I should confess, too," she said, half laughing, because it was all so absurd. "I like you, too. I didn't know it at the time, but after that first rose – after the support and rivalry, victories and defeats – I wanted to know you more. It's so silly, isn't it," she laughed helplessly, "because we were ten, still kids…"

"But it isn't silly."

May wiped her eyes. "Why not?"

"Because," he said softly, standing and walking around the table, stopping just a foot away from her, looking down at her face, "it's you I fell in love with."

And of course he had to kiss her then. It was unavoidable, what with the confessions and the fact that she had missed this for so long, missing the times when they could have their little private talks together, sometimes simply falling silent and looking up at the stars, wondering… And it seemed as if he had wanted her, too – his kiss felt restrained, trying oh so desperately not to let himself hurt her, trying to make that one moment last – but his movements were too demanding for it to be simply a longing. A dull thought reached her brain: _He's wanted to do this for a long time…_

Then they pulled apart, but just barely. May realized suddenly that she had her arms around his neck, and for a second she wondered dimly how they had gotten there. The two of them were breathing hard. May was now lying across the couch, Drew supporting himself over her, looking down at her face, breathless. Her hair was mussed, spread around her face, over the cushions. It was now long enough to reach her chest, where it lay with a final curl on her shirt. He seemed to be entranced with those strands of hair, and he lifted one hand to slip it over his fingers, trace it back up to her face, to her eyes.

"May," he said in a low voice. "We're in your house."

She sat up with a jolt, knocking foreheads with him. They both held their heads in pain for a second, then broke into laughter that died away just as quickly.

"Y-yes," she stammered, then threw a glance at the door. It _looked_ undisturbed, but May knew her brother better than that. "I hope Max wasn't…"

"Let him look all he wants," Drew said, smirking.

"You don't mean that." A pause. "Do you?"

"No," he laughed, and pushed her back down so that he was lying on top of her. For a moment they simply lay there, their breathing steady, close, warm.

"I think this isn't a good place to do this." May tried to push herself up into a sitting position. "D-dammit, Drew, you're heavy! Get up!"

"I've never heard you curse me before," he laughed, stumbling onto the wooden floor.

"You've never kissed me before, either," she answered softly.

A wry smile twitched at his lips, and she had a sudden urge to leap up and cover his mouth with hers. "So true. I don't mind kissing your dirty little mouth, though."

"Drew!" Blushing furiously, she watched as he stepped closer. "What if—"

"Your annoying little brother barges into the room? Your mom sees?" Caroline stood in the doorway. "Don't worry, I didn't see any of it, and I didn't hear all of it. I heard enough, though," she finished with a small, mother-knows-all smile.

"M-mom…!"

"Just wait until Dad hears. Oh, this is going to be so fun."

"_Mom!_"

"It's all right, you know how he is. He's a bit _too_ easygoing sometimes, to be honest. I'm sure he won't be all that surprised as long as I don't include the details," Caroline giggled.

"Don't embarrass her too much, Mrs. Maple; that's my job, you know," Drew said jokingly.

"Okay, Drew. I can't resist a request from my future son-in-law, can I?"

"I-I don't think we've thought that far ahead yet, Mom," May interrupted.

"Of course not." With a sly smile at the two of them, she stepped back into the kitchen and closed the door.

May blinked. "I think you're a bit similar to my mom in some respects."

"We'll get along well; that's for sure. All the better to win your hand, eh?"

May snatched her fingers out of his before he could kiss her hand. "D-Drew!"

"I'm just joking," he laughed. Then he grew silent again, watching her with those emerald green eyes.

"May," he said suddenly. "How about a date?"

"O-okay." She was startled. "When? Where?"

"Saturday. I'll pick you up at six. Wear something a little dressier than usual. Semiformal would be good. All right?"

"Sure."

It was odd, she reflected, how she simply went along with it as if it was natural, as if they had been doing the same thing over and over so many times that she had become used to it – only they hadn't, and this was her first date with him.

"So… so are you going to stay any longer?"

"Why not?" He fell back onto the couch, sitting beside her this time. "After all, I have loads of time to kill," he said, finishing with a typical Drew-like flick of his hair. "Let's slaughter the time, shall we?"

May couldn't resist a giggle. "You're so bloodthirsty."

"I slaughter everyone in Contests; I'm used to it."

"You don't slaughter me," she pointed out defiantly. "I've had a few victories against you."

"But not every time," he responded, arching an elegant eyebrow.

"Very true." On impulse, she leaned forward and nipped at his mouth, then laughed as she pulled away.

Drew was taken by surprise. "What was that for?"

"Payback, Drew." She snuggled into his side. "I get to take the initiative for once."

There was a pause, and then a smirk spread across his face. "Well," he whispered, arm snaking around her, "it's going to take a lot more than a little peck on the lips to pay me back for what _I_ plan to do to you."

"Drew, you're acting scary," May mock-whimpered. "I'm scared, Drew, I'm scared! Eek!" And then a laugh, because he had all of a sudden started laughing, and who was she to be silent when she could laugh?


End file.
